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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · pitch · bat · ball · leaves · plane · calf · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bat — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a great time
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. pitch — completely
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com